These Are the Winter Sports Trends 2020/2021

Which winter sports trends will dominate the slopes, cross-country ski runs and freeride slopes in the 2020/21 season? ISPO.com presents the most interesting novelties.

The goal for Nordica is to awaken the joy of movement and then keep it for as long as possible, even for over 50 winter sportsmen. The traditional Italian brand Nordica  launches its new HF ski boot series and opens a new comfort category in the ski boot sector.

The completely reinterpreted "rear entry" combines comfort with heel hold and driving pleasure. HF stands for "Hands Free" and means that the two-buckle harness can be locked and unlocked comfortably in a standing position using only the ski pole or the other foot. The model HF Elite Heat GW with fully heatable Thermic liner can be heated in several stages for hours with the smartphone under app control. The ISPO Award 2020 jury selected the ski boot model as the winner.

"The really big trend," explains Professor Veit Senner, Chair for Sports Equipment and Sports Materials at the Technical University Munich, "lies in biopolymer materials and substances. The aim is to replace the many plastics used in the sports sector with biopolymers. He and his team are working flat out in both areas.

A trend that the French ski manufacturer Rossignol has also recognized and is focusing on raw materials in the production of the new Blackops freeride ski models and increasingly relying on recycled materials. The Blackops-Sender TI was selected as the winner by the ISPO Award jury.

Alpina Sports is also breaking new ecological ground with a completely sustainable back protector made of 100 percent sheep's wool. The back protector, consisting of three layers of pressed sheep's wool, meets the standards of protection class 1 and combines all the good properties of the natural product: it remains supple in icy temperatures, warms or cools and is odourless. The wool is obtained exclusively from sheep from Switzerland and Norway.The ISPO Award Jury voted the "Prolan Vest" from Alpina Sports as "Product of the Year" in the Snowsports Hardware category.

For its ski and snowboard goggles, the Swedish label Spektrum relies on plant-based polymers made from castor and ricin oil as well as corn and recycled polyester. The ISPO Award jury was convinced by both the ecological aspect and the implementation and chose the model "Östra Medium" as Gold Winner.

The Swedish label "Klättermusen" convinced the ISPO Award jury with its first completely compostable down jacket "Farbaute" and is Gold Winner in the Outdoor category and also winner of the ISPO Award for Sustainability Achievement.

The first 100% biodegradable down jacket is, except for the zippers and some snap fasteners that can be removed and reused, biodegradable on the compost heap after about three months. It does not release microplastic particles into the environment during washing processes.

Norwegian clothing manufacturer Helly Hansen launches a new membrane technology for winter 2020/21 that can be produced without additional chemicals. The microporous Lifa Infinity membrane is manufactured in a solvent-free process and, together with a water-repellent Lifa outer material, ensures high-performance weather protection.

In addition, Helly Hansen uses the spinneret dyeing process for its new Lifa Infinity Pro technology: the color pigments are injected during fiber production. This means that 75 percent water can be saved. Furthermore, no harmful waste water is produced.